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 So when a squeeze bunt went foul, the Cincinnati Reds rookie
shortstop straightened up and delivered the payoff.
Two pitches after the failed bunt, Suarez lined a base hit to
shallow left to score teammate Todd Frazier with a go-ahead run on
the way to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
"We took one shot at (a bunt) and it was an up and away fastball and
he did a good job fouling it off and then came through big time with
that base hit on 3-2," Reds manager Bryan Price said.
Frazier reached base on an error by rookie third baseman Kris Bryant
and advanced to third on a Jay Bruce single.
The Reds' third baseman went 2-for-5 with three runs scored,
including a double, homer and a stolen base.
Suarez, called up Thursday from Triple-A Louisville for his
Cincinnati debut, went 1-for-4.
"I tried to put the ball in play (on the bunt) and after I kept
concentrating and went and got a good slider and hit it real good,"
Suarez said. "I feel very, very excited."
Cubs right handed reliever Hector Rondon (3-1) worked one inning and
took the loss.
Reds right-hander J.J. Hoover (5-0) picked up the victory after
pitching the eighth and ninth innings. Closer Aroldis Chapman worked
the 10th for his 13th save.
The victory evened the current series at a game apiece.
The Reds (28-32) won their fifth in sixth games while the Cubs
(32-27) had a two-game winning streak end in front of an announced
crowd of 40,016, the largest of the season.
Neither starter Cincinnati right-hander Johnny Cueto or Chicago's
Jason Hammel figured in the decision.
The Reds took advantage of a Cubs error on the way to a quick 3-0
first inning lead.
Skip Schumaker, the Reds leadoff batter and left fielder, reached on
Addison Russell's error at second base and scored on a double to
deep left by second baseman Ivan De Jesus Jr.
With one out, Frazier doubled to deep center to drive in De Jesus.
Frazier came home on catcher Brayan Pena's base hit to right.
In the second, Hammel helped his cause with an RBI single to right
that scored left fielder Chris Coghlan. Russell then made up for the
earlier miscue with an RBI double that drove in Hammel and cut the
deficit to 3-2.
But Frazier got one run back in the third when he slammed his 18th
homer of the season to left field with none out for a 4-2 lead.
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Hammel departed after five innings and 103 pitches. He gave up four
runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out four.
"I didn't get deep into the game, it was nice that we still battled
and had a chance," Hammel said. "I was fighting myself, basically
just out of sync today. I wasn't on top of the baseball like I had
been and it cost me a lot of deep counts."
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro forced a 4-4 tie in the sixth when he
launched Cueto's 1-2 pitch to left for a two-run homer that also
drove in Bryant.
Russell sent a long drive to left to lead off the seventh but stiff
northerly winds helped keep it in the park for Schumaker to catch at
the warning track.
"We did not execute totally today, but effort wise I am extremely
pleased with our boys," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.
Cueto worked through seven innings before being pulled for a pinch
hitter. He gave up four runs on seven hits, walked nine and didn't
walk a batter while throwing 113 pitches.
NOTES: The Reds and Cubs will have national TV exposure with
Saturday's game on Fox and Sunday night's on ESPN. ... Reds CF Billy
Hamilton was back in the lineup after two days off recovering from
continued wrist discomfort. He went 0-for-5 and did not reach base.
... Reds C Devin Mesoraco (left hip impingement) and OF Jason
Bourgelos (fractured left scapula) both have been at Triple-A
Louisville this week on rehab assignments. ... Reds RHP Mike Leake
(3-4, 4.29 ERA) meets Cubs RHP (Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 3.96) in
Saturday's game. ... Cubs C Miguel Montero had three-run homers in
consecutive games this week and is second among National League
catchers with eight. ... Despite starting the season later than most
other rookies, 3B Kris Bryant shared the major league lead for hits
by first-year players with 51 before getting two more Friday.
Philadelphia's Obudel Herrera and Arizona's Yasmany Tomas also had
51 through Thursday games. Cubs teammate Jorge Soler was next with
50.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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